Car Bomb: A Story in Five Versions
by ProLiferChelle
Summary: This story, which I wrote back in 2003, was inspired by, and is very loosely based on, the episode of "Third Watch" entitled "The Price of Nobility," written by Edward Allen Bernero and Brooke Kennedy. [Amy Carlson told her mother NOT to watch that episode.] "Another World" is the property of Procter and Gamble Productions. "Third Watch" is the property of Warner Brothers.
1. Version 1

The minute the 23rd Precinct got the report that a car bomb had been planted on Avenue M, Josie raced outside. Joe, ran after her.  
He wondered if Josie would ever stop placing herself in unnecessary danger.

When Joe got to Avenue M, Josie was already checking out the first car.

"Sinclair! What the Hell do you think you're doing?" Joe demanded.

"I'm going to find that bomb," Josie answered, "if I have to check out every car on this block."

"Are you out of your mind? Let the bomb squad handle this."

"I know what I'm doing," Josie insisted.

Joe realized that it was no use talking when Josie was being stubborn. He picked her up, slung her over his shoulder, and carried her away.

Just as Joe set Josie on her feet, the car that she had been inspecting blew up.

A shaken Josie waited for the worst lecture and punishment Joe had ever handed down. It didn't come. Joe just held her tight, tighter than  
he'd ever held her before, and choked out, "Thank God I was able to..."

And then, Joe began to cry. That was all the punishment Josie needed.


	2. Version 2

The minute the 23rd Precinct got the report that a car bomb had been planted on Avenue M, Josie raced out of the door. She had every intention of finding and defusing that bomb.

"Oh, no!" Joe shouted, getting up and running after Josie, praying all the while that the bomb squad would get there first.

When Joe and Josie arrived, however, the bomb squad was _not _ there. Josie approached the first car, and began her search.

"Sinclair! What the Hell do you think you're doing?" Joe demanded.

"Looking for the bomb," Josie said. "I'm going to find it if I have to check out every car on this block."

"Are you out of your mind?" Joe asked. "Let the bomb squad handle this."

"I know what I'm doing," Josie insisted.

Joe knew that it was no use talking when Josie was being stubborn. He picked her and slung her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" Josie yelled.

And then, the car blew up.

Joe set Josie on her feet and scolded her. "Do you realize you were almost killed?"

Josie, not ready to admit that she'd been in any real danger, argued, "I could have found that bomb before it went off."

"We're going back to the 2-3," Joe said, "and then you and I are going to have a talk."

"Talk?" Josie thought. "You mean a lecture."

Joe was shaken by what had happened. What if he _hadn't_ been able to get Josie away from the car in time? And how could  
he make sure Josie wouldn't endanger herself again?

And then, Joe had an idea. It was so crazy, it just might work. He'd try it, anyway.

When they returned to the 2-3, Josie expected to be escorted into Joe's office. She got a surprise.

"Sit at your desk," Joe said, "and wait for me." He left the squad room.

Josie wondered what Joe was going to do. And then he came back, pushing a chalkboard.

"Everybody, listen up!" Joe said. "Josie, come here."

Josie got up and walked over to Joe. Every officer in the squad room looked at them and wondered what was going on. Briefly, Joe filled them in on what had happened. A few officers gasped, and some of them whistled.

"Now Josie," Joe said, "I am going to make an example of you."

"What do you mean, you're going to make an example of me?" Josie asked.

Joe handed her a piece of chalk and said, "You will write, two hundred times,

**_'I must not place myself in unnecessary danger.'_**** It's for your own good."**

"What!?" Josie gasped.

"You heard me," Joe said sternly. "Now start writing."

"I have to write sentences like a naughty schoolgirl?" Josie asked. She thought, "That's ridiculous."

Joe nodded. Josie saw that there was no way out of it. Her face grew hot with embarrassment as she stood there writing her punishment sentences. Some of her brother and sister officers watched her with amusement, some with sympathy.

After what seemed like a long time, Josie said, with a sigh of relief, "I'm finished."

"Good," Joe said. "Now come here."

Josie went over to Joe, and looked at him reproachfully. "That was humiliating."

"I figured it would be," Joe said, "and believe me, Josie, I hated doing it to you." He took her in his arms and stroked her hair. "But I would much rather humiliate you for a little while, than have to eulogize you."


	3. Version 3 (As told by Josie)

**align=center**

REPORT BY DETECTIVE JOSIE SINCLAIR, 23rd PRECINCT, BAY CITY, ILLINOIS, POLICE DEPARTMENT

I'm at my desk, writing this report as part of my punishment for disobeying orders, placing myself in unnecessary danger, and going into the field when I was already on desk duty. (Never mind **_why_**** I was on desk duty; it has nothing to do with this report.)**

If I gave this report a title, it would probably be **The Price of Stupidity****. I pulled a dumb stunt yesterday that could have gotten me killed. As it is, I paid for my actions!**

I was, as I said, stuck at my desk, typing reports and, I admit, bored out of my skull, when I heard Joe get on the radio to some of my fellow officers, who were in squad cars, and tell them that that he'd just gotten word that a car bomb had been planted on Avenue M. That was all the info he had. Nobody knew just which car it was; nobody knew who was the target. We learned later on that there was no target; the car had been picked in a random, senseless act of violence. Then again, what **_I_**** did was every bit as senseless!**

"You know what to do," Joe said. "Just clear the area. Don't go looking for the bomb. Let the Bomb Squad handle that."

Now, I heard Joe perfectly clearly, and I know it's the Bomb Squad's job to find and diffuse bombs, but stubborn me had to try to handle things on my own. After all, one of the things I learned at Quantico was how to diffuse a bomb. Anyway, I jumped up and ran out of the police station. Joe hollered at me to come back, but I paid no attention. I was going to find and diffuse that bomb myself, with no help from anyone. Joe got to Avenue M just as I was checking out first car. You're probably asking yourselves, "Was she out of her mind? What was she **_thinking_****?" Well, looking back, I have to ask myself the same questions!**

Joe yelled at me to get away from there, but did I listen? No. I told him that I knew what I was doing, and I kept looking for that bomb, even after Joe said, "Sinclair, get away from there right now! That's an order!"

Well, if it weren't for Joe's quick action, I might not be here today. Seeing that I wasn't about to get away from that car, Joe picked me up, slung me over his shoulder, and carried me away real fast, with me yelling all the way, "Put me down!"

And then we heard the explosion, and yes, it turned out that the car that blew up **_was_**** the car I'd been inspecting. Nothing else blew up, and nobody was hurt.**

Joe stopped in front of a building with a bench in front. A second later, I got the shock of my life.

Joe said, "Now, Josie, this is for your own good. You are going to learn once and for all not to disobey orders,not to act on your own, and **_especially_**** not to place yourself in unnecessary danger!"**

The next thing I knew, Joe was sitting on the bench, I was face-down over his lap, and his hand was coming down,  
**WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!**** on the seat of my pants.**

I **_really_**** yelled then. "Hey! What are you"**

Joe went right on with the paddling. I said that it was the shock of my life. Well, it was also the **_spanking_**** of my life! Joe has a ****_very_**** strong hand, and he did ****_not_**** go easy on me.**

"OWWWWW!" I hollered at the top of my lungs. "OWWWWW! OWWWWW! OWWWWW!" Joe told me later on that I could have been heard in Chicago!

And just when I didn't think I could take any more, Joe said, "Okay, Josie. It's over."

He helped to my feet. I stood there, rubbing the seat of my pants and crying. And I wasn't just crying because it felt like you could broil a steak back there. I was also crying because I was good and mad. After all, I never thought corporal punishment was a departmental option!

"Believe me, Josie, that hurt me a **_lot_**** more than it did you," Joe said. "I hate making you cry, but if anything happened to you, ****_everyone_**** in the ****_department_**** would cry."**

"Including you?" I asked.

"**_Especially_**** me."**

That, and the look in Joe's eyes, made me understand **_why_**** he had spanked me. I wasn't angry any more, but I couldn't stop crying just yet.**

Joe took me in his arms and held me close. I sobbed in his arms, with my head on his shoulder.

"There, now," Joe said. The hand that had spanked me so hard now stroked my hair and rubbed my back and shoulders as gently as could be. "There, now, honey. It's okay now."

After about a minute, I stopped crying, took a deep breath, and said, "I'm all right now."

"Good," Joe said. "Well, there's no sense in your going back to the 2-3 now. Your shift is almost over. But for the rest of your punishment, and to help you to remember," he went on, "I'm adding two weeks to your desk duty."

"Great," I thought. "Just great." You see, today was **_supposed_**** to be the last day!**

"And tomorrow, I want you to write a report on today's events."

"Do I have to tell (I looked at the sidewalk) **_everything_****?"**

"That's up to you," Joe said.

Well, as you can see, I decided to tell the whole story, even though part of it was a little bit (okay, a lot) embarrassing to write about. And I've **_definitely_**** learned my lesson this time. I shudder every time I think about what would have happened if Joe hadn't carried me away from that car in time. And besides, it's bad enough being on desk duty and writing a report for punishment without having to do it standing up!**


	4. Version 4: Joe's Viewpoint

This** story shows the events in CAR BOMB, Version 3, from Joe's viewpoint.**

There are times when being a police captain is not easy. Captain Joe Carlino of the 23rd Precinct in Bay City, Illinois, knew all about those times. Just a few weeks ago, he'd had to put one of his best cops, Detective Josie Sinclair, on desk duty as a punishment for disobeying orders. Joe always hated disciplining his officers, especially Josie. She wasn't just a cop who served under him; she and her husband, Gary, were two of his dearest friends.

"Well," Joe thought, "Josie's time will be up tomorrow."

That's when the call came.

"Carlino," Joe said.

"A bomb has been planted in a car on Avenue M." The caller hung up.

Joe radioed some of his officers who were out in patrol cars. "I just got word that a bomb's been planted in a car on Avenue M. You know what to do. Just clear the area. Don't go looking for the bomb. Let the Bomb Squad handle that."

And then, Joe saw Josie jump out of her seat and race out the door. "Oh, no!" he yelled, running after her. "Please, God," he prayed, "let the Bomb Squad get there before Josie does."

Joe and Josie arrived on the scene at the same time. The Bomb Squad wasn't there yet. And then, Joe was horrified to see Josie approach the first car, and start looking for the bomb.

"Sinclair," Joe said, "get away from there right now! That's an order!"

"I know what I'm doing," Josie said.

Joe knew that there was no use talking when Josie was being stubborn. He had to act, and fast. There was no telling if that actually was the car where the bomb had been planted, or even if the call had been a hoax, but Joe couldn't take any chances. He moved quickly up to the car, picked Josie up, threw her over his shoulder, and started running. Joe decided to treat Josie the same way he'd treat his son, Dante, if a similar situation arose. He had already made up his mind to keep her on desk duty for two more weeks. He would still do that, but something more drastic was needed in addition, something he had never thought he would do.

"Put me down!" Josie yelled furiously. "Put me down!"

And then the explosion came. It turned out that it **_was_**** the car Josie had been on, but there had been no target. The car had been picked at random in a senseless act. But just then Joe didn't know that. He only knew that he had to deal with ****_Josie's_**** senseless act. Joe stopped at a building with a bench in front, said,"Now, Josie, this is for your own good. You are going to learn once and for all not to disobey orders, not to act on your own, and ****_especially_**** not to place yourself in unnecessary danger!""**

Then, swiftly, he sat down on the bench, turned Josie face-down over his lap, and brought his hand down,  
**WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!**** on the seat of her pants.**

"Hey!" Josie yelled, "What are you"

Joe went right on with the paddling.

"OWWWWW! OWWWWW! OWWWWW! OWWWWW!" Josie yowled at the top of her lungs. Joe was sure they could hear her in Chicago.

Josie began to cry. Joe had to brush his hand across his eyes before he could go on.

"OWWWWW! OWWWWW!" Josie wailed. "OWWWWW! OWWWWW!"

And then, Joe couldn't stand it any more. "Okay, Josie," he said, "it's over."

He helped her to her feet. They stood facing each other. Josie rubbed the seat of her pants and glared at him. Joe could see that she was burning in more ways than one over the spanking.

"Believe me, Josie, that hurt me a

**_lot_**** more than it did you. I hate making you cry, but if anything happened to you,****_everyone_**** in the ****_department_**** would cry."**

"Including you?"

"**_Especially_**** me."**

Joe saw Josie's face soften. He knew she wasn't angry about the spanking any more, but she was still crying. He took her in his arms, and held her close. She nestled her head on his shoulder and sobbed.

"There, now," Joe said. He stroked Josie's hair, and rubbed her back and shoulders. "There, now, honey. It's okay now."

He hoped to God that he would never have to spank Dante.


	5. Version 5: A Surprising Twist

**Josie, more scared than she would admit, even to herself, walked up to the car in which the bomb had been planted.  
"Come on, Sinclair," she said under her breath. "Don't blow this. You can handle it. Just remember all the dangerous situations you've been in in the past. This is nothing. And think how proud of you everyone will be."**

Josie had been sure that her training at Quantico would stand her in good stead now, but it didn't. She froze. She completely froze. She couldn't move; she couldn't speak. To say that she had panicked would be an understatement.

Joe saw that he'd have to be the one to handle this situation. He ran up to the car, picked Josie up, slung her over his shoulder, and carried her away. He spoke no word of reproach, and yet Josie felt completely, totally humiliated. She had set out to prove something, perhaps more to herself than to anyone else, and she had failed.

Joe set Josie on her feet. They stood looking at each other. Josie couldn't say a word. Joe took her in his arms, and stroked her hair.

"It's all right," Joe said, reassuringly. "Let's just go back to the 2-3, and forget what just happened."

"I can't," Josie said, running back before Joe could stop her.

This time, she found the bomb, and diffused it. Anyone watching would have thought that Josie had done nothing else in her life but find and diffuse bombs.

Josie knew then that she had wiped out the failure of a few minutes ago.  
#####

**That night, in bed with Gary, Josie recounted the events of the day.**

"Who knows?" Gary mused. "This could be the beginning of a whole new career for you."

"Absolutely not," Josie said firmly. "I'm sticking to police work, because if there's one thing I learned today, it's that acting isn't for me." 


End file.
